Vivian Ho

Vivian Ho

James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and Professor of Economics

Vivian Ho is the Director of the Center for Health and Biosciences at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and serves as the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, as well as Professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Ho’s research examines the effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care. Her research is widely published in economics, medical and health services research journals and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the American Cancer Society. Professor Ho has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Health Statistics, as well as on the NIH Health Services, Outcomes and Delivery study section. She is also a founding and current board member of the American Society for Health Economists. Professor Ho received her A.B. in economics from Harvard University, a graduate diploma in economics from The Australian National University and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Professor Ho's most recent research program is in conjunction with the Health Policy Forum at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. This initiative has been tracking the implementation of the Affordable Care Act through published research, media and government resources. Her recent findings show that insurance coverage in Texas is expanding but with plenty more room to grow. Other on-going research programs include completing manuscripts for a study of the cost-drivers of complex cancer surgery, an analysis of regional variations of cancer treatment in Texas, the effect of smoking bans on hospitalization rates, and whether shared savings programs for physicians can reduce overall patient health care expenditures.